Chickens

Discussion in 'Gardening' started by StonerNack, Jan 11, 2014.

  1. Hey guys, I'm not even sure where this question/comments goes in the forum.

    So I thought I would put it in here, does any one else have chickens?

    I had 27, and now I'm down to 11 :/ Dogs + Free range chickens aren't usually the best idea.

    Does anyone breed chickens? I'm gonna try to get my flock back up and replace some of the older hens.

    :metal: Chickens are metal :metal:
     
  2. Kewl stuff
     
    I want chicken's, it will need to wait until i find a place with the space. Did you BBQ or the dog's got em all?
     
  3. we've been discussing raising chickens forEVER....people keep telling me theyre easier to take care of than my dog...
     
  4. We have chickens, Not sure what your asking?  Do you have a rooster? No chicks with out one and the hens would start setting here in the next few weeks..  People always giving away roosters 
     
  5. I have sixteen hens. Considering getting a rooster and breeding them. I get a decent supply of eggs from them, they're well worth the work if you ask me.
     
  6. Over here, we run a farm that has over 100 chickens and counting. We sell and ship chicken eggs throughout the US for hatching. Because the winter was fairly harsh for a generally warm area, the chickens are only laying about 2 1/2 dozen eggs a day. As for care, they're actually really simple! Ours are in large, fenced in pens, which we open occasionally to let the birds come out and enjoy the yard. We put out a chicken feeder or bowl, fill it with feed, put out a bowl/waterer full of water, and they do the rest. Bare in mind that like this, chickens will turn those fenced in areas into a flat, dusty surface. I always want to try running through it with a sand crab scooper to see if it would gather the chicken manure. I bet that'd be great for our huge tomato/pepper/etc garden we've started in the greenhouse.
     
  7. #7 Storm Crow, Feb 10, 2014
    Last edited by a moderator: Feb 10, 2014
    I keep 3 "semi-pet" Americana hens in a portable coop. We move it around the yard so they have fresh pasture every two days or so. They take care of much of the garbage- that skinny end piece of bread, the left-over veggies from 2 nights ago, and they delight when we make soup - they get to pick over the bones and veggies that we boiled for broth. We get blue and greenish eggs from them.  This isn't my coop, but it is similar-  ours has wheels under the coop and shaved down 2 x4 handles for easier moving.
     
    [​IMG]
     
     
     
    Granny
     
  8. #8 VeritableHypocrisy, Feb 10, 2014
    Last edited by a moderator: Feb 10, 2014
    I enjoy the Ameraucanas. However, the bantam ones are a bit wild. We have a mille fleur d'uccle bantam hen in the house. She follows us, squawking the whole way, as if saying "Wait for me! I'm coming too!" lol.

    You know what chickens REALLY seem to love btw? Pizza crust. Seriously. I tamed up some INSANE White Ameraucana Bantams with nothing but pizza crust. They went from being on the other side of the pen when I approached to taking food out of my hands and letting me handle them.
     
    Also, that pen is beautiful, Storm Crow.
     
  9.  
    I have two roosters actually, they don't seem to mind each other. I did have 4 but I gave one and away the other one died.
     
    That is a really nice pen for your chickens. I have mine in an old office trailer that my grandfather picked up for $40, plus it's got a smoke room that I use during the summer so my house doesn't smell like pot. Haha.
     
    Mine go crazy over bread, and fat from meat. They also love deer meat surprisingly. I'm not sure what my chickens are either, I ordered them on a hatchery site. I can't wait to finally breed some and have more chickens running around, it has made me sad that my flock has had such a decrease in the last years.
     
  10. I like watching them eat slugs and baby mice : )
     
  11. Worms are the funniest thing to watch them fight over
     
  12. Do you plan on eating them?
     


  13.  
    Well post a picture. Being that my girlfriend is a breeder and I am her 'assistant,' I am sure that I can help identify them. If not, somebody else here may be able to.
     
  14. Here's my rooster in which I have no idea on what he is, along with a few hens.
     

    Attached Files:

  15. Nope, maybe if I get more.
     
  16. #16 Honest American, Feb 14, 2014
    Last edited by a moderator: Feb 14, 2014
     
    Pretty chickens. My guess is the black & white looks like a Barred Rock, the orange rooster/hens look like Americanas (They lay green/blue eggs) The mainly black one looks like an Australian Australorp I think- usually they are all black but their feathers have a green sheen like I'm seeing in that one. How is the roo's temperament? Will he attack your dog, you, or other animals?
     
    I couldn't eat mine, they are pets and each have their own unique personality. My Australorp's are the most docile, friendly, and intellegent out of the other breeds I have.
     
  17. I know Barred Rocks, Both my roosters won't attack each other or other animals. I have an American Game Rooster, he can get pissy sometimes but he won't attack anyone.
     
  18. Barred Rocks in my flock seem to be the friendliest and nicest.
     
  19. #19 VeritableHypocrisy, Feb 18, 2014
    Last edited by a moderator: Feb 18, 2014
    I'm actually not 100% sure what they are, but they are indeed very pretty chickens. Here's one of ours. She's a Mille Fleur D'uccle bantam hen. 

    [​IMG]
     
  20. #20 Al Swearengen, Feb 24, 2014
    Last edited by a moderator: Feb 24, 2014
    i have 4 chickens left, started with 8, 2 years ago and they're free range so that's not too bad. just found out some feral cat has been killing and eating mine, got two of them in as many weeks. never knew cats would do that but i guess when you're starving it is possible.
     
    have 3 black Ausies and 1 Road island red left and they're great birds. no roosters for me, but they would help with the cat issue, problem is i do not want more than 4 chickens anyway, so that's out.
     

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